Rudolph m



(No Model.) r

R. M. HUNTER & J. T. STEWART.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING BEAN. No. 280,478. Patented July3,1883.

N. PETERS, PhoXn-Lilhcgrzphur, Washin ton; 0.6.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER AND AMES T. STEWVART, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING BRAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ive/280,478, dated July 3,1883.

Application filed May 21, 1883.

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that we, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER and JAMEs T. STEWART, of thecity of Phil adelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Process and Apparatus forPacking Bran, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention has reference to processes and apparatus for packing bran;and it consists in heating the bran and then compressing it into thedesired-sized packages or boxes, and, if desired, extracting all excessof air during the process of packing, and in apparatus for carrying onsaid process, all of which is more fully set forth in the followingspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form partthereof.

Heretofore it has been found difficult to compress bran to asufficiently compact form to make its transportation and sale ofcommercial value. This non-compressibility is due to the fact that theflaky cuticle is so constituted that it becomes electrified, and all theparticles repell each other, causing the airto beinterposed, and thusrendering it difficult of compression. WVhen this electrical conditionis destroyed the bran may be compressed to an enormous extent, and thismay be increased by extracting the greater part of the air inclosed bythe said bran particles.

The object of our invention is therefore to provide a process andapparatus by which the electrical condition of the bran may bedestroyed, and, if desired, the air removed, and

then compress the said bran and seal it, when compressed, into a caseorpackage.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of our improvedapparatus for compressing bran, and Fig. '2 is asectional elevation of acase of packed bran.

A is a hopper, into which the bran is fed, and from which it passes intothe cylinder B, which may be heated externally by a steamjacket, 13.Working"through this cylinder 1-3 is a feed-screw, 0, formed of ahollowshaft, 0, provided with a screw formed of pipes C or a hollowsheet-metal spiral, through which steam is passed. This hollow shaft 0is supported at the bottom by bearing D, made with an an nular space,(1, into which steam is fed by steam pipe E, and from which it passesinto the l1ol- (No model.)

at the top, the only difference'being in the omission of the block 61,as this element is notv needed. This shaft or axle C is provided on ornear the top with a bevel-gear wheel, F, which meshes with a smallbevel-wheel, F, secured to driving-shaft F", which also carries a smallpinion, G, which meshes with a large spuravheel, G, carried loosely on ashaft, H, the object of which will be presently explained.

B is the outlet from the cylinder l3,'and opens into anothercylinder, 1. This outlet or part of 'it may be made of fine wire-gauzeI), through which air may be sucked by a fan, J, and trunk J, and anyparticles of dust, &c., extracted may be collected in a dust-chamber,J". To prevent clogging of the gauze, open metal fingers I), or theirequivalent, are constantly vibrated, for instance, by a shaft, 71 crankIf, rod b', and crank-wheel If.

The bottom part of cylinder I is made with a small flange, '2", to fitover the top of the packing-case K, and, if desired, gauze coveredopenings 1 may be made in the said cylinder near its bottom, and also,if desired, in the bottom of compressing-plunger L, which reciprocatesin said cylinder. is so formed as to leave a slot across its front whenthe plunger L is fully raised, as at I". through which the case-lid Kmay beinserted between the bran and plunger. The plunger is made with aguide-pin, M, provided with nuts m at the top, and upon which is a head,N, which is kept pressed against said nuts with great force by a spring,0. P is a pitman connecting the head N with the crank Q, which issecured upon the shaft H, which is provided with a sliding clutch, H,which may be engaged with spur wheel G when the crank Q-is to be rotatedby a lever, B, which may be operated by hand. A spring, R, throws theclutch out of contact and arrests all motion when the lever R isreleased. If desired, this crank might be made so as to simply make onerevolution and then come to rest each time the lever B was pulled; butthis is common in. many mechanical devices.

\Ve do not limit ourselves to the particular construction of apparatusshown, as it may be modified in various ways without departing from ourinvention. For instance, it is not necessary that the bran should beheated with Steam heat, as hot air, gas, products of combustion, orliquid may be used in lieu of steam, and in place ofusing it externallyit may, if desired, be brought into direct contact, though we prefer touse steam in the manner substantially as shown.

The operation is as follows: The bran is fed into hopper A, from whichit passes into cylinder B, and through which it is forced by heatingfeed-screw G. The heat from steanr jacket 13 and steam feed-screw 0 bothheat the bran and destroy the electrical condition, allowing the saidbran to pack at once. When this is taking place the bran is beingcontinually pressed downward and compressed, and while being compressedthe heated air is extracted with any fine dust, thus enabling thecompression to be greatly increased. After being (ls-electrified anddeaerified it is automatically forced into the cylinder I and case K.\Vhen filled pretty close to the plunger the lid K is pushed into theaperture I and rests upon said bran. The bran, when forced into cylinderI, is compact. Now, the lever B is pulled and the plunger L is forceddown, compressing the bran down into the case K in the form ofa hardsolid mass, and when the lid is in the top of the case it is nailed inplace.

One of the side flanges, i, which is hinged as at 2 may then be turnedup and the packed case withdrawn and an empty one replaced. Triangularstrips k may then be nailed on the top to keep the lid tightly on.During this last operation the bran is being compressed into the bot-tomof the cylinder 13 and outlet B, and after placing a new box in positionthe piston or plunger L is raised and the compressed bran falls into thenew case. By this it is seen that in reality no time is lost, as thebran in the cylinder 13 is being deelectrified and condensed while thecase is being closed. By this method of packing bran no moisture isused, and when unpacked the bran will assume its original condition, andwill be found not at all impaired by the exeesssive compres- S1011.

Ve are aware of the patent to Locke, No. 223,522, for packing meat incans, and claim nothing therein set forth or shown, our invention beinglimited to bran and like substances. Locke shows mechanism for forcinghis meat while hot into a tin can, feeding it from the bottom upward toinsure filling the can and getting rid of the air. He uses a smallamount of pressure, suffieient to make the preserved meat flow into thecan; but there is no at tempt at compression. He also keeps his hopperswarm; but that is to prevent the meat drying on them and clogging thesame. There is no electrical condition to deal with in the preservedmeat. In our invention we use con siderable heat and great pressure andutilize these in a process entirely different and for a different resultthan Locke, and we therefore disclaim anything set forth or shown in theLocke patent.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is

l. The herein-described process of packing bran, which consists in firstsubjecting said bran to heat and then to compression, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. The herein-described process of packing bran, which consists insubjecting said bran to heat, then extracting most of the air held amongthe particles of bran, and then subjecting said heated and deaeratedbran to compression, substantially as and for the purpose specified. 4

3. The process for packing bran, which consists in heating said bran andsimultaneously compressing the same, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

4. The process for packing bran, which consists in heating said bran andsimultaneously compressing and deacrating the same, sub stantially asand for the purpose specified.

5. The process for packing bran, which con sists in heating said bran,simultaneously compressing and deacrating the same, and finallysubjecting the said bran to high pressure, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

6. The herein-described process of packing bran, which consists indestroying the electri cal condition of said bran and then subjecting itto high pressure, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of feeding and heating apparatus with a compressingdevice, the same being organized to heat and compress bran,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of feeding and heating apparatus with deacrating anda compressing device, the same being organized to heat and compressbran, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination ofcylinder B, feedscrew 0, means, substantially asdescribed, to heat the bran in said cylinder, cylinder I, and

plunger L, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. The combination ofeylinder B, feed-screw 0, means, substantially asdescribed, toheat the bran. in said cylinder, gauze-covered open ing 1),air-trunk J, fan J, cylinder I, and plunger L, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

11. The combination of cylinder B, feedscrew 0, means, substantially asdescribed, to heat the bran in said cylinder, gauze-covered opening b,air-trunk J, fan J, cleaner 6, cylinder I, and plunger L, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

12. The combination of cylinder B, feedscrew 0, means, substantially asdescribed, to heat the bran in said cylinder, ease K, cylinit I der 1,means to makeatight joint betwcensaid formed of a hollow shaft, 0, withthe screw cylinder I and case, and plunger L, substanmade of hollowmetal or pipes, substantially tially as and for the purpose specified.as and for the purpose specified. 13. The combination of cylinder B,steam- In testimony of which invention we hereunto 15 5 jacket B,feed-screw 0, cylinder I, and plunger set our hands.

L, substantially as and for the purpose speci: RUDOLPH M HUNTER fied. T

14. The combination of cylinder B, steam JAMES feed-screw O,substantially as and for the pur- \Vitnesses:

1o pose specified. WILLIAu MoWADE, 15. 'lhesteainfeed-screwO,f01'heating-bran, R. S. CHILD; Jr.

